TIMBER BRIDGES IN THE NORDIC COUNTRIES

The Nordic Timber Bridge Program is a cooperative program for Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway, with the head of the working group and the chairman from Norway. The participants in this program come from the Timber Industries, the Timber Research Institute and Public Roads Administrations in the various Nordic countries. The paper will describe the most essential points in why and how this Timber Bridge Program was established. The objective was to increase the knowledge of timber used in bridges, and timber bridges vis-a-vis architects, engineers and politicians regarding material and construction preference and disadvantage, environmental aspects, construction costs and service life costs. The aim is to construct more timber bridges at the sacrifice of steel and concrete bridges.